Science word of the day: Heliosphere
Science word of the day: Heliosphere Pronunciation: HEE’-lee-uhs-feer What it means: The heliosphere is the region around the sun that’s affected by the solar wind
Category: Science
In painted caves, ancient human DNA clings to the walls
Scientists recovered ancient human DNA from cave walls for the first time. Refined, the method could help link prehistoric paintings to their makers.
British vial of smallpox scabs triggered the devastating 1789 outbreak among Indigenous Australians, study finds
It’s long been debated what started the 1789 smallpox outbreak that devastated the Indigenous population in Australia. Now, a new modeling study has the likely
‘We were genuinely surprised’: ‘Superworms’ can clean extremely delicate skeletons lickety-split, and that’s a game changer for museums
The skeleton of a wolf or bat you admire at the natural history museum may look pristine, but it wasn’t always that way — there’s
Mummy mask with wig: A 1,000-year-old ‘false head’ found in Peru that was crafted with real human hair and toxic red cinnabar
QUICK FACTS Name: Mummy mask with wig What it is: A carved wooden mask Where it is from: Peru When it was made: Circa 1000
Hubble Sees Swarm of Galaxies
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features the galaxy cluster MACS0329-0211.
Can Ozempic prevent or treat cancer? It’s way too soon to say, an expert cautions
In the weeks around the 2026 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, my phone kept buzzing with alerts about GLP-1 drugs and
James Webb telescope uses trippy Einstein prediction to probe the farthest reaches of the universe — Space photo of the week
Quick facts What it is: The collision-prone galaxy cluster MACS J0553.4-3342 Where it is: In the constellation Columba When it was shared: July 2026 Around
‘It’s absolutely exciting!’: Astronomers discover an atmosphere around an Earth-like planet in the habitable zone for first time ever
Astronomers have found the strongest evidence yet that a rocky planet beyond our solar system has managed to hold onto an atmosphere — a crucial
Decorated wild-boar tusk found in Russia may have been medieval warrior’s good-luck charm
Archaeologists in Russia have discovered a rare medieval wild-boar tusk that was likely used by a warrior or noble as a good-luck charm, a new
Cells from your mother likely infiltrated your brain in the womb, and they could survive for decades, study reveals
Researchers have discovered that children’s brains can contain cells with their mother’s DNA and that these cells can persist for decades. The findings, which were
What’s the oldest weapon in the world?
Nowadays, the word “weapon” may evoke modern-day technologies such as firearms, blades and missiles. Yet archaeological evidence shows that weapons have existed for hundreds of
Science word of the day: Autotroph
Science word of the day: Autotroph Pronunciation: AW’-tuh-trohf What it means: Autotrophs are organisms that can feed themselves with inorganic substances such as light (for
Stages of Star Formation
This NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month shows the giant molecular cloud Orion A, an area of the sky replete with star-forming